People building homes in rural Mercer County will not be getting a tax break.
The Mercer County Commission voted to reject a proposed ordinance that would give new homes built in rural Mercer County a five-year exemption on property taxes. Commissioners worried about the impact of the measure on local budgets and services, and that it would put the county in competition with area cities for tax breaks.

Everyone did it as children. They put together scraps of paper or plastic bought for a few dollars, tied a string to it and ran like crazy trying to get it up in the air. For some, the love of making something that soars and glides in the wind never died.

Friday was the deadline for petitions to be submitted for a place on the June 8 election ballot.
Local mayors are running for re-election, with Darrell Bjerke, Beulah; Leonard Streifel, Dodge; Deen Brecht, Golden Valley; and Terry Barden, Zap, all running unopposed. A few city council positions failed to attract candidates, specifically Ward 1 of Beulah and one of two seats in Dodge. Park Board positions failed to draw enough candidates in Dodge and Halliday.

With the Knife River peaking a week ago and rapidly dropping, fears of major property damage to Beulah and Zap are also receding. But before it went, the 2010 flood season showed its potential power by closing a handful of roads in Mercer County.

After stymieing Santa with the Christmas blizzard of 2009, Mother Nature was at it again Easter weekend by hindering the Easter Bunny’s way with wind, rain and sleet that eventually turned into an all-out blizzard in some areas of the state.